About Joey Ramone
Jeffrey Ross Hyman (May 19, 1951 – April 15, 2001), known professionally as Joey Ramone, was an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist and founding member of the punk rock band Ramones, with Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone. His image, voice, and tenure with the Ramones made him a countercultural icon. Born to a Jewish family in Queens, New York City, he was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and suffered a psychotic episode at age 18. After playing in the glam punk band Sniper from 1972 to 1974, Joey cofounded the Ramones in 1974. Initially the band's drummer, Joey switched to lead vocals shortly after the group's formation. Appearing on all the band's releases, he, along with guitarist Johnny Ramone, are the only two original members who stayed in the band until it disbanded in 1996. Following the Ramones' breakup, he embarked on a solo career before dying of lymphoma in 2001. His debut solo album Don't Worry About Me was released the following year. In 1974, Jeffrey Hyman co-founded the punk rock band the Ramones with friends John Cummings and Douglas Colvin. Their only record with enough U.S. sales to be certified gold in Ramone's lifetime was the compilation album Ramones Mania. Colvin was already using the pseudonym "Dee Dee Ramone" and the others also adopted stage names using "Ramone" as their surname: Cummings became Johnny Ramone and Hyman became Joey Ramone.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.